matador

[ mat-uh-dawr ]
/ ˈmæt əˌdɔr /

noun

the principal bullfighter in a bullfight who passes the bull with a muleta and then, in many countries, kills it with a sword thrust; a torero.
one of the principal cards in skat and certain other games.
(initial capital letter) a jet-powered U.S. surface-to-surface missile.

Origin of matador

1665–75; < Spanish, equivalent to mata(r) to kill (perhaps < Vulgar Latin *mattāre, presumed derivative of Late Latin mattus soft, weak; cf. matte1) +- dor -tor

Example sentences from the Web for matador

British Dictionary definitions for matador

matador
/ (ˈmætədɔː) /

noun

the principal bullfighter who is appointed to kill the bull
(in some card games such as skat) one of the highest ranking cards
a game played with dominoes in which the dots on adjacent halves must total seven

Word Origin for matador

C17: from Spanish, from matar to kill